Sexual Abuse Advocate Completes 1,500-mile ‘Walk in My Shoes’ Journey Across Florida

Lauren Book promotes tougher laws to encourage child abuse reporting, crack down on sexual traffickers and fund rape crisis centers

TALLAHASSEE, Fl. – A young woman who overcame six years of childhood physical and sexual abuse at the hands of her nanny today completed a 1,500-mile walk across Florida and held a rally on the steps of the Old Capitol with supporters and state leaders to advocate for legislation to protect children from sexual abuse and provide funding for rape crisis centers.

Throughout the state, Lauren Book spread a message of hope to victims of sexual abuse and a challenge to Floridians to end the scourge of childhood sexual abuse.

 

“I have grown from a victim of sexual abuse into a warrior in the fight against sexual abuse,” Book said.  “I want victims to know that healing is possible and they can thrive, not just survive after sexual abuse.”

 

Beyond empowering victims to tell their stories and seek help, Book is passionate about preventing childhood sexual abuse by passing tougher laws, better informing parents and educating children how to avoid the traps that predators set.  Book’s abuse prevention curriculum, Safer, Smarter Kids, created at the direction of the Florida Legislature, is being delivered this month to every kindergarten class in the state.

 

Book also is urging passage of legislation, including SB 1816/HB 1355 and HB 7049/SB 1880 to close loopholes in Florida’s abuse reporting law, crack down on human sexual trafficking, penalize institutions such as universities and colleges that conspire to hide sexual abuse, provide funds to help sexual assault victims relocate and fund rape crisis treatment centers.

 

SB 1816/HB 1355, which are being sponsored by Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto and Rep. Chris Dorworth:

 

• Makes it clear that everyone has a responsibility to report suspected child abuse and that the Florida Abuse Hotline must accept reports of suspected sexual abuse of a child no matter what the abuser’s relationship to the child.  Currently, the hotline only accepts reports of abuse by a parent or primary caregiver.
• Imposes fines of $1 million per offense if a university knowingly and willfully at the Administrative level conspires to prevent child abuse from being reported.
• Provides $1.5 million in funding to help victims of sexual violence relocate.

 

HB 7049/SB 1880, which are being sponsored by Sen. Anitere Flores and William Snyder.

 

The bill updates and enhances Florida’s human trafficking laws by:

• Combining statutes on involuntary servitude, human trafficking, and sex trafficking into a single statute. Increasing penalties and providing jurisdiction for human trafficking to the Office of the Statewide Prosecutor and to the statewide grand jury.
• Providing that human trafficking for the purpose of commercial sexual activity is a predicate offense for sex offender and sex predator status.  Includes within the definition of “commercial sexual activity” prostitution, pornography, and sexually explicit performances. Increases penalties to first degree felonies.
• Eliminating the requirement that prohibited trafficking of minors for commercial sexual activity be “coerced.” Provides an enhanced penalty to those who traffic minors and those who traffic persons who are not legally authorized to work in the United States.
• Increasing the penalty for the crime of human smuggling from a first degree misdemeanor to a third degree felony.

 

Book also is supporting $1.5 million in general revenue funding for Florida’s 30 rape crisis centers, whose funding has decreased this year due to a reduction of fees assessed and collected on felony convictions.

 

The final two miles of Lauren’s 1,500-mile journey across the state began at the new Florida Blue Center, where Lauren’s blood pressure, BMI and other health indicators were checked, proceeded up Apalachee Parkway to Governor’s Square Mall, and finished at the historic Old Capitol steps, where she was joined by hundreds of supporters, local elected officials and state leaders, including Attorney General Pam Bondi, Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, Senate President Mike Haridopolos, Senator Lizbeth Benacquisto, Representative Will Weatherford and Representative Chris Dorworth.

 

Thousands of people turned out to walk with Book along the way, including Senate President Mike Haridopolos and Dr. Stephanie Haridopolos, DCF Secretary David Wilkins, Tracy Mourning, players and coaches of the Miami HEAT, including Pat Riley and Head Coach Erik Spoelstra, and Miami Dolphins, advocates, victims, children, local elected officials and celebrities.

 

The Walk has generated extensive media coverage across Florida and also was documented through frequent blog posts and a photo gallery that generated hundreds of thousands of Web visitors and thousands of social media followers.

 

Lauren’s Kids is a non-profit foundation that works to prevent sexual abuse and help heal survivors. The 2012 Walk in My Shoes was sponsored by Publix and Hilton HHonors.